A characteristic feature of recessed ceiling and wall luminaires is that essential parts of the luminaire housing extend into the building structure and are arranged within a wall, a floor or a ceiling. Normally, only the front face of the luminaire projects into the room or is flush with the surface delimiting it.
In this context, a great variety of different ways of mounting such luminaires in the building structures is known. Luminaires of the type in question may, for example, have an edge which projects beyond the installation opening, the luminaire being drawn into the installation opening through spring or screw elements. The provided edge is thus in firm contact with the surface of the building structure, whereby the luminaire is fixed in position.
When these kinds of mounting are used, a carrier element is often fixedly connected to the building structure. In the case of drywalls, this can be done by screw-fastening or plastering-in the parts. In the resultant installation opening, the carrier element then provides fastening possibilities for the luminaire to be installed. The latter may e.g. be fixed in position by screw fastening. Other possibilities are e.g. the use of springs or connection elements of a more or less intricate structural design. In this respect, it will often be necessary that the orientation of the luminaire relative to the building structure must already be taken into account during mounting of the carrier element.
DE 10 2004 058 241 A1 discloses a luminaire including a cylindrical housing configured for ceiling plaster installation, said cylindrical housing having provided therein a carrier means for a lamp, which is supported such that it is rotatable and pivotable relative to the housing. Within the carrier member, a fixedly or releasably attached reflector is provided. The carrier member is held within the housing via an intermediate ring thus allowing the pivotal movements of the carrier member. For fastening the intermediate ring in the housing, the outer wall of the intermediate ring has provided therein coupling elements, which cooperate with a guide and holding unit provided in the wall of the housing. These guide and holding units may e.g. be a circumferentially extending housing groove, and the coupling means may e.g. be ball catches, which are spring biased so as to allow a snap-fit connection. Due to the snap-fit coupling between the housing and the intermediate ring, the carrier member can, together with the intermediate ring, be installed in the housing and removed therefrom as a unit without making use of any tools.
DE 92 178 71 U1 discloses a recessed luminaire, in particular for fast and easy installation in walls, ceilings or the like. To this end, the luminaire can exclusively be mounted from one side of the installation surface by plug-in-type insertion into the opening while establishing a snap-fit connection between the luminaire and the opening. Hence, no separate flush-mounting box is provided, but the snap-in connection of the luminaire clasps the ceiling or wall element from above and from below, the connection being here accomplished by a resiliently deflectable snap-in element with snap-in projections and said snap-in projections engaging the inner edge of the opening.
Also WO 2015 075 599 A2 describes a recessed luminaire. In this case, an outer housing of the luminaire body is held in an opening by means of a retaining ring. The retaining ring is provided with a retaining device engaging the outer side of the luminaire body. To this end, the outer side of the luminaire body is provided with a patterned surface having in particular a wave or ripple structure. This structure is engaged by a spherical coupling element of the retaining ring, said coupling element being provided with a spring element, so as to guarantee locking engagement with the housing of the luminaire body. The spring element also allows easy removal of the luminaire body from the opening.
DE 93 17 087 U1 relates to a recessed luminaire with an installation ring for fastening in a wall or ceiling aperture, comprising a cup-shaped reflector, which is open at one end thereof and into which at least one lamp projects. In the opening, a removable insert is fixed in position by a snap-fit device. The snap-fit device is here provided on the installation ring, said installation ring being, on the one hand, supported below the ceiling, i.e. adjoining to the opening of the lamp, whereas the other end is supported in the area of the lamp.
DE 10 2005 032 265 B4 discloses a luminaire comprising at least two luminaire components, which are adapted to be locked to and released from one another. A luminaire housing is here fixed in position via an installation ring mounted in a suspended ceiling. The connection between the intermediate ring and the luminaire housing is established via a snap-in connection, which can be engaged easily and released without making use of any tools. For this purpose, a spring element is provided, which, during insertion of the luminaire housing into the already mounted installation ring, moves past the installation ring, whereupon, above a projection of the installation ring, a barb of the spring element bounces outwards thus locking the housing in position.
This prior art clearly shows that there is a great variety of different systems for mounting luminaires of the type in question, the respective systems being based on different installation systems. It is often difficult to adapt the respective kinds of mounting to the structural conditions, e.g. to the thickness of the drywall boards used.
It is the object of the present invention to simplify mounting of recessed luminaires of the type in question and to render such mounting more uniform.